1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image recording method (hereinafter referred to as intermediate transfer image recording method) in which an image is recorded by transferring to a recording medium an intermediate image formed by applying an ink to an intermediate transfer member, it has been known that a liquid composition containing a reaction agent capable of precipitating or aggregating the coloring material in the ink when the composition has come into contact with the ink is applied to the intermediate transfer member before forming the intermediate image. Also, it has been known that the releasability of the intermediate transfer member is increased to enhance the certainty of transfer (hereinafter referred to as transfer certainty) in the intermediate transfer image recording method. In order to enhance the releasability, the intermediate transfer member may be formed of a releasable material, or a liquid that can enhance releasability may be applied to the intermediate transfer member.
However, when a liquid composition is applied to an intermediate transfer member whose releasability has been enhanced by such a method, the liquid composition, in some cases, may be repelled from the intermediate transfer member and result in a non-uniform coating. If an ink is applied to an intermediate transfer member non-uniformly coated with a liquid composition, the coloring material is not uniformly precipitated or aggregated. Accordingly, the intermediate image becomes non-uniform in density, and the image quality of the image transferred to the recording medium is degraded.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-234219, a method is discussed for uniformly applying a liquid composition to a highly releasable intermediate transfer member. This patent document teaches that the image quality of the image transferred to a recording medium is improved by uniformly applying to an intermediate transfer member a liquid composition containing a specific fluorine-containing anionic surfactant so as to have a high wettability to the intermediate transfer member.
According to a study of the present inventors, however, the method disclosed in the above-cited patent document has some disadvantages in high-speed recording, while a satisfactory intermediate image can be formed because the liquid composition can be uniformly applied. More specifically, the intermediate image cannot be certainly transferred in a high-speed recording process, and may remain partially on the intermediate transfer member. Consequently, the image quality of the image transferred to the recording medium can be degraded.